Diwali Cards Night!!!

Woo Hoo, it's almost Diwali weekend and I'm so looking forward to it! Not because I'm going to be lighting diya's or eating yummy food or bursting crackers. Nope! My favourite part about Diwali is Teen Patti or 3 cards or Flash! It's tradition for us in our little group of friends to get together in someone's house for a night of heavy card playing. The stakes are never too high, the food never runs out and the laughter continues to the wee hours of the morning. So when I wanted to make a gift set for our wonderful hosts, the theme was obvious! Diwali Cards Night!!

Here's the card! I've kept it CAS and added a pun the sentiment - Have a 'Flash'y Diwali as the game we play is called Flash. It's also known as Teen Patti or 3 cards and in the US, it's known as Caribbean Stud Poker. But conveniently we call it Flash so 'Have a Flashy Diwali' is a perfect play with words, ideal for Lulupu's Word Play Challenge for which I am entering this card. CASolgy's challenge 68 is also Black, so I'm entering this card for that as well.

On to the gift box. I usually prepare some cupcakes or brownies when we head over for Cards Night. This time I thought I would make a box to present it. I continued the playing cards theme and added some pattern paper, a Cameo Cut Frame, the wonderful card game symbols and a four looped bow! I'm entering this box into The Three Muses Challenge - Black, White and Red

I'm entering the entire set into City Crafter Challenge Blog Week 183 - Game Night. I actually got the entire idea of this project from this Challenge Theme. So glad I came across it! Can't wait to present it!

If you would like to know the supplies used for this or any of my projects, please write to me at craftingtillthecrackofdawn@gmail.com

Horses for Debbie

Some of you already know this - about a month ago, my building had a carnival where I put up a stall to sell all my cards and crafts. One of the items on offer was my carousel card, which you can see by clicking here. An American lady called Debbie saw someone buying that card and istantly asked me if I could recreate that for her. She was away from home and had loads of horse-loving friends back in the US who she missed dearly and to whom she wanted to send a few cards. She wanted 3 of the same carousel design and a couple more variations of the horse theme. So here is what I came up with. 

For the carousel cards I chose three colors inspired by the pattern paper I used for the envelopes. The first was this pretty yellow, pink and orange design. Doesn't it look like a real carnival!

The second was this monochromatic blue design with an awesome chevron pattern paper that I picked up from ItsyBitsy for just Rs. 10. What is interesting is that I have used only blue in this set but there are literally four shades of blue - the lace, the 2 tones of the carousel and the envelope are all different shades of blue. I'm entering this one into Creative Moments Challenge 11 - Shades of Blue

And the third was this this rich red color scheme. I was grateful to have the red damask pattern paper for the envelope and I really adore the lush almost passionate feel of the card.

Next I wanted to make something masculine. I got this DCVW gorgeous pattern paper from ItsyBitsy and the sandy plaid design was just perfect for the my theme. Did you notice the sentiment with the little horseshoe 'U'. The 'Missing' is etched with my cameo. I'm entering this one into Here Come the Boys #47 - No Stamps Allowed and Addicted to CAS #7 - Masculine

Finally this is my favorite. I got this lovely paper and I was just waiting and waiting to make something with it. I was finally ready to use it for this card. Then I cut out the lovely lace panel using my cameo, added a soft organza bow and a rim of pearls at the top and bottom. I used the sketch from Stampin Royalty as a guide.

 

And that wraps it up. Debbie really appreciated the cards and is looking forward to sending them to her friends in Texas and Alabama. I certainly hope they like it too.

Footprints in the Sand

Footprints in the Sand is this lovely poem/ lyric/ story that I saw somewhere, sometime on someone's wall - don't remember the where, the when or the who but I deeply remember the what. Thanks to the power of the Internet and Google, I could find it again and my card is based on this wonderful story.I have used the picture inspiration from Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger and created this CAS card for CASual Fridays.

To add some perspective, here is the story...

One night I had a dream...

I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord, and

Across the sky flashed scenes from my life.

For each scene I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand;

One belonged to me, and the other to the Lord.

When the last scene of my life flashed before us,

I looked back at the footprints in the sand.

I noticed that many times along the path of my life,

There was only one set of footprints.

I also noticed that it happened at the very lowest 

and saddest times in my life

This really bothered me, and I questioned the Lord about it.

"Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you,

You would walk with me all the way;

But I have noticed that during the 

most troublesome times in my life,

There is only one set of footprints.

I don't understand why in times when I

needed you the most, you should leave me.

The Lord replied, "My precious, precious

child. I love you, and I would never,

never leave you during your times of

trial and suffering.

When you saw only one set of footprints,

It was then that I carried you.

The words are so beautiful that I added them inside the card. The message is about keeping the faith and although I am not a particularly religious person, this particular saying has stayed with me. 

Here is the picture inspiration from Moxie Fab which I first saw on Sindhu's blog. Such a divine picture, wouldn't we all want a bedroom like this!

Also entering into Crafty Creations Challenge - Just Take 2 - I've got 2 sets of footprints.

A Chess Card

All my cards have a story and this one begins with an absolutely divine inspiration picture from IBSIC #42 which I saw on Sindhu's blog. I got so charged up that I just sat at my craft table from that moment on (about 11pm) until 1am making my card. The next day I checked out the challenge over at CASual Fridays 'Make a card with one long side and one short side' which was just about perfect as the card I made complied with the guidelines of both challenges. So here we go!

The IBSIC inspiration pic is just so pretty and I thought I would put a really unusual spin on it by bringing out the same prettiness in a very masculine card.  Here is the inspiration picture.

Chess is a game that brings back fond memories with my husband. When my husband and I first started dating about 14 years ago we spent a lot of time playing chess online. I was seriously lousy and he was really good so he used finish me off in 10 moves. One day, I started an online game with him and at the same time started a game with the computer. Whatever move he played against me, I played against the computer and whatever responding move the computer made, I played against my husband. Poor Ajay was so flabbergasted at how I had evolved into a Grand Master overnight! 

So this card is for him. I may have checkmated him that day, but I was the one checkmated for life!

Also entering into:
Card Making Mama's Challenge - Clean and Simple
Crafty Ribbon Challenges #37 - Love/Romance/Anniversary

Update 25/1/13 - I made the top 3 for the IBSIC challenge!!! Woo Hoo!!